Door hinge, check, and hold-open



Jan. 1, 1957 w. F. KAPANKA ET AL 2,775,783

DOOR HINGE, CHECK, AND HOLD-OPEN 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 50, 1953 v INVENTORS (329m? 52221422548 BYfidZ/q 53/13 62 W4 ATTORNE Jan. 1, 1957 w. F. KAPANKA ET AL DOOR HINGE, CHECK, AND HOLD-OPEN 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 30, 1953 WE'VE NTQ R5 Yam-via 8 ATTUR'NEY Jan. 1, 1957 w. F. KAPANKA ET AL 2,775,733

DOOR HINGE! CHECK, AND HOLD-OPEN Filed Nov. 50, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS ATTORNEY Jan. 1, 1957 w. F. KAPANKA ET AL 2,775,783

DOOR HINGE, CHECK, AND HOLD-OPEN 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Ncv. 30, 1953 It'll Ill ill 1''!!! United States Patent DOOR HINGE, CHECK, AND HOLD-OPEN William F. Kapanka, Royal Oak, Mich., and Barthold F. Meyer, St. Clair Beach, Ontario, Canada, assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application November 30, 1953, Serial No. 394,936 Claims. (Cl. 16-139) Our invention relates to hinges, and particularly to hinges suited to the requirements of automobile .doors, in which it is customary to provide a counterbalance to reduce the effort of opening doors with the usual inclined hinge axis, and door checks and hold-opens to define the open position of the door and hold it in this position.

Our invention incorporates these functions in a single simple structure, thus reducing installation and sealing problems and the cost of the installation, as well as securing improved operation.

The nature of the invention and the advantages thereof will be clearly apparent from the succeeding detailed description of an installation according to the invention and the accompanying drawings, in which:

' Fig. l is a partial side elevation of a sedan automobile;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, with parts in section, of a front door hinge, taken on the plane indicated in Fig. '1;

Fig. 3, is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the parts in door open position.

Fig. 4 is a partial vertical section taken on the plane indicated in Fig. 3

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a plan view, with parts in section, of a rear door hinge, taken on the plane indicated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the parts in door open position;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated in Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a partial vertical section taken on the plane indicated in Fig. 6.

Referring first to Fig. l, a sedan automobile comprises a forward section 10, a front door 11, a body center pillar 12, a rear door 13, a rear quarter 14, a roof 16, and a windshield 17. The front door is supported by hinges including a hinge 18 and the rear door is supported by hinges including a hinge 19.

The hinges 18 and 19 are of generally similar character, each including the essential hinge structure and, in one assembly therewith, a spring-biased toggle linkage door counterbalance and hold-open.

Considering first the front door hinge combination shown in Figs. 2 to 5, the front door 11 comprises an inner panel 21 to which is fixed by bolts 22 a gooseneck type hinge strap 23 which extends forwardly into the channel-section body front hinge pillar 24 within the forward section 10.

A hinge box 26 fixed in the hinge pillar 24, as most clearly shown in Fig. 5, is of U-shape with open sides, the base of the U being fixed by cap screws 27 to the forward part of pillar 24 and the legs of the U having flanges to which are secured by bolts 23 a plate 29 covering the opening in the rear face of pillar 24 through which the box 26 is installed. Box 26 may be regarded as the fixed hinge strap.

Plate 29 has an opening 31 through which strap 23 extends. The forward end of the strap extends outwardly and is drilled at 32 for bushings 33 which engage the inner surfaces of box 26 and rotate on a hinge pin 34 extending through'the box.

A cover plate or shoe 36 fixed on strap 23 by screws 37 largely closes the opening in cover plate 29 when the door is open (Fig. 3). It also provides one abutment for a spring-urged toggle counterbalance, the other abutment of which is the box 26. This toggle linkage comprises two links 38 and 39 of sheet metal channel form, the bases of the channels constituting the outer faces of the links in Fig. 2. Link 38 has forked outer ends 41 pivoted on pins 42 extending through the upper and lower faces of box 26. Link 39 hasa punched outer end pivoted on shoe 36 by a rivet or pin 43.

The links 38 and 39 are pivoted on each other by a tubular pin 44, the'ends of which are flared for retention. A coil spring 46 on the pin 44 has ends 47 extending against the links 38 and 39 and biasing the toggle to extended position. The limit of extension is defined by abutments 48 at the adjacent ends of the base portions of the channels 38 and 39.

Note in Fig.2 that pin 42 is slightly rearward of the plane containing the axes of pins 34 and 43 when the door is closed. Spring 46 :thus exerts a slight closing effort on the door for the first few degrees of opening movement. As the door opens further, an opening effort is exerted which increases as the force advantage of spring 46 increases. This force may be such, by proper choice of pivot pin locations and spring strength based upon the weight and hinge axis orientation of the particular door, as approximately to balance the door during a considerable part or the opening movement and then considerably overbalance the door: through the final part of the opening movement, to hold it fully open in the position determined by engagement of abutments 48.

The Webs of the hinge box 26 have flanges or tabs 49 turned inwardly in a position to be engaged by the hinge strap 23 to provide a maximum limiting position of door opening. Thus, the toggle assembly does not limit the opening of the door and, if the door opens beyond the position of Fig. 3, the link 38 can slide slightly on the pins 42.

The slot-ted configuration 41 at the end of the link 38 facilitates installation and removal of the toggle. After the door is installed in the body, the toggle assembly with plate 36 are put on the hinge by slipping link 38 over pins 42 with the door open and then installing screws 37 to hold the plate 36 in place. As will be apparent, the toggle linkage assembly is readily installed or removed without disturbing the hinging of the door.

The slot 41 is at a slight angle to the line joining the axes of pins 42 and 44 so that spring 46 holds the link 38 on the pins 42.

The rear door hinge 19 shown in detail in Figs. 6 to 9 is generally similar to the front door hinge and has many corresponding parts with corresponding functions. These parts are identified by reference numerals which are higher by fifty than those applied to the corresponding parts in Figs. 2 to 5.

The rear door 13 comprises a structural member or plate 71 to which is fixed by bolts 72 the movable or male hinge strap 73. This strap is coupled by pin 84 to the fixed female hinge strap 76 having arms 76' which straddle the strap 73. Strap 76 is fixed to the body center pillar 74 by bolts 77. Bearing bushings 83 are fitted into the bore 82 of the strap '73 through which pin 84 extends. The toggle comprises channel-shaped links 88 and 89 coupled by pin 94 riveted-over and mounted on straps 76 and 73 by pins 92 and 93, respectively. These links are biased toward the straight line position by coil spring 96, the ends 97 of which bear against the links, urging them into the position in which abutments 98 on the links are in contact, which precludes straightening of the toggle.

Patented Jan. 1, 1957 straightensr Preferably, .the. spring. falls slightly short of counterbalancing the door until it is nearly in open position, beyond whichpoint the advantage of the'spring is such that it serves to'overbalance the door and hold it in the open position.

While the preferred'embodimen-ts of the invention have been 50' described 'in detail for the purpose of explaining the principles of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that 'these descriptionsare not to be construed aslimiting the invention, since many modifications ofthe structure may be made by'the exerciseof skill: in the art.

We claim:

1; A hinge and hold-open assembly for body and closure members, comprising in combination, a first hingestrap connected to the closure member, a second hinge strap connected to the body member, means pivotally connecting said straps together tospermit swinging said closure between open and closed positions, stop means for abutment by one of said straps to limit opening movement of said closure and to define the fully open position thereof, a toggle linkage including first and second links, pivot means connecting the links and a spring mounted on the toggle linkage and reacting against both links to bias the linkage toward an extended position, means pivotally connecting said first link to said first strap, at a point between the connection of the-first strap to the closure member and the means pivotally connecting said straps together, and pin and slot means pivotally connecting the second link to the second strap, the axis of said last mentioned pivotal connection being spaced from the connection between the second strap and the body member and spaced from the means pivotally connecting said straps together, the toggle links beingextended when the closure is open and be ng closed against the force of said spring when the closure is swung to closed position, and the pin sliding in the slot when the closure swings to fully open position.

2. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the toggle is closed, the pivot between the second toggle link and the second strap is located closely adjacent a plane containing the pivotal axis of the connection between the first link and first strap and the pivotal axis of the connection between said straps.

3. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 1, wherein said first strap is bent intermediate its ends and the pivotal connection between said first strap and the first link is closely adjacent the bend in said strap.

4. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 1, wherein said first strap is L-shaped, having a base which is pivotally connected to said second strap and a stem which is connected to said closure, the pivotal connection between said first strap and the first link being closely adjacent the bend in said strap.

5. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 1, wherein said first strap is bent in the form of an L, having a base pivotally connected to said second strap-and a stem connected to said closure, and wherein said first strap has an extension projecting from said stem, the

pivotal connection between said first strap and first link being on said extension.

References Cited in the file of his, patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 573,197 Bartclmes Dec. 15 1896 2,124,258 Moecker July 19, 1938 2,125,247 Roethel July 26, 1938 2,335,201 Ulrich Nov. 23, 1943 2,364,747 North Dec, 12, 1 944 2,645,810 Galla July 21,1953 

